Author: Ashley Linkletter

Tasting ghee for the first time is like discovering delicious liquid gold; you’ll want to use it on everything (and we mean everything). Made from clarified butter, ghee is a popular fat regularly used in Indian cuisine and Ayurvedic medicine. Unlike butter, all the milk solids are removed from ghee, which means that ghee has a much higher smoke point and is shelf-stable. Ghee has a pronounced nutty taste that’s just as at home in a stir-fry as it is thinly spread on a piece of good bread.
In Ayurvedic medicine, ghee is used for its alleged digestive, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties. Here, we cover everything you need to know about getting started with ghee and explore all of its different uses, both in and out of the kitchen (including how to easily make it at home!).

What is ghee? Your new favorite pantry staple.

The distinction between clarified butter and ghee comes down to cooking time; ghee is simmered for a longer period of time than clarified butter. This results in darker milk solids that give ghee a nutty, deeply savory flavor. In India, ghee is made from cow’s milk and water buffalo milk.
[pullquote align=”center”]“Ghee is considered by Ayurveda to be the most penetrating of edible oils, which means it digests well and travels to nourish the deep tissues of the body…”
—Kate O’Donnell, certified Ayurvedic practitioner[/pullquote]
Although it’s possible to find water buffalo milk ghee, it’s far easier (and less expensive) to buy cow’s milk ghee in North American grocery stores. When purchasing ghee, look for brands that only contain cow dairy and are free of hydrogenated vegetable oils (a tell-tale sign of subpar ghee.) Because the lactose-containing milk solids are removed from ghee, it’s generally considered safe for those who suffer from lactose intolerance (although as this article in Today’s Dietician points out, butter is also naturally very low in lactose.)

Is ghee healthier than butter?

One important difference between ghee and butter are their smoke points. Because the milk solids have been removed in ghee, it has a higher smoke point than butter (ghee has a smoke point of 485 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas butter begins to smoke at a much lower 350 degrees Fahrenheit.) Why are smoke points important? According to an article in The Globe And Mail, “the more refined an oil, the higher its smoke point, because refining removes impurities and free fatty acids that can cause the oil to smoke.” That said, both butter and ghee are very high in saturated fats, a type of fat that the American Heart Association recommends you consume in very small quantities.

Ghee and Ayurvedic Medicine

When talking about the perceived health benefits of ghee, it’s important to remember that ghee comes with its own unique cultural context—one that is informed largely by the Ayurvedic tradition. Kate O’ Donnell is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, Boston-based Ashtanga yoga teacher, and is the author of The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well and Everyday Ayurvedic Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind: 100 Sattvic Recipes. For O’Donnell, ghee is an essential part of practicing Ayurvedic medicine.
“Ghee is considered by Ayurveda to be the most penetrating of edible oils, which means it digests well and travels to nourish the deep tissues of the body, such as bones, nerves, and reproductive tissues,” she says. O’Donnell is a particularly big fan of ghee’s purported antibacterial abilities. “Ghee can be used in the nostrils before a flight to avoid picking up pathogens. Use the pinky fingers to rub a small amount around the nostrils and inhale deeply. Bugs will stick to the ghee, not your passages, and it helps with dryness as well.” Ghee is also used for oil massages, detoxification, and as the base of many Ayurvedic homeopathic medicines.
Although scientists are beginning to study ghee for its potential health benefits, the available literature on the subject is fairly limited. One notable study in the Ayurvedic medicine journal AYU found a positive link between regular ghee intake and a reduction in cardiovascular disease. Another study published in the Journal of the Indian Medical Association used a physician-administered questionnaire to examine the effects of ghee on cardiovascular health in males living in a rural Indian village and found the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was lower in males that regularly consumed ghee than those who didn’t.

Ghee as an All-Natural Beauty Aid

Considering the popularity of natural moisturizing substances like coconut oil and shea butter, it’s no surprise that ghee is also being used cosmetically for its super moisturizing properties for both the hair and skin. Ghee can be applied directly to the skin or hair as is, or, depending on your beauty regimen, it can be mixed with ingredients such as honey, milk, rosewater, and ground almonds. Shannon Buck of Fresh-Picked Beauty recommends this rosemary-infused ghee hair mask.
The idea of using ghee as a beauty product is also gaining traction with those in search of ethically made, all-natural products that they don’t have to DIY, and the European beauty company MIRATI has even released an entire line of products specially formulated with ghee.

How to Cook With Ghee

O’Donnell likes to use a small amount of ghee in her cooking whenever possible. “I usually recommend ghee in smaller amounts with each meal, such as 1 teaspoon in morning eggs, oatmeal, or toast, and then again for sautés, grains, and soups at lunch and dinner. Use it anywhere you would use other oils!”
[pullquote align=”center”]It may take a few ghee-making attempts to figure out exactly how deeply browned you prefer the milk solids, but don’t worry, each batch of practice ghee will still be delicious.[/pullquote]
Ghee has a stronger flavor than butter, so use it judiciously as you only need a small amount. Thanks to its high smoke point, ghee is a great choice for shallow or deep frying (yes, frying in ghee nullifies any potential health benefits…but the results are spectacular.)

How to Make Ghee at Home

When making ghee, use the absolute best unsalted butter available (if you can find Échiré AOP butter from France I highly recommend the splurge, but any good quality butter will work well.) Making ghee at home isn’t a difficult process, but it does require some trial and error. It may take a few ghee-making attempts to figure out exactly how deeply browned you prefer the milk solids, but don’t worry, each batch of practice ghee will still be delicious.

Yield: About 2 cups of ghee

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Special Equipment

• Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• Large spoon
• Mesh sieve
• Cheesecloth
• Glass jar with lid

Method

1. Place the cubes of butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
2. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. You’ll notice that the butter separates into three distinct layers: a layer of solids on the bottom, a middle layer of clarified butter, and a top layer of foam.
3. Gently simmer the butter for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Push aside the top layer of foam with a large spoon and look at the milk solids on the bottom of the saucepan. You want them to turn a light brown color. At this point, you can take the melted butter off the heat or you can simmer for another 5 minutes for a deeper color and a more intense flavor.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
5. Using a large spoon, scoop off and discard as much of the top layer of foam off as you can. Line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth that has been folded to form several layers and carefully pour the melted butter into a clean glass jar through the sieve (repeat this step if there are any lingering milk solids*.)
6. Store the jarred ghee in the fridge for up to six months or at room temperature for one month.

*A note on milk solids: Don’t throw these tasty cooked bits away! Deeply nutty in taste and pleasantly chewy, leftover milk solids can be sprinkled onto rice and risotto, mixed into bread dough, or used as a topping for vegetable gratins.

To ghee or not to ghee?

Like any type of fat—and saturated fat especially—ghee should be used sparingly. The purported nutritional and health benefits of ghee are only now being studied despite the fact that Ayurvedic medicine has been ghee’s biggest supporter for thousands of years. It may help to think of ghee as an accent ingredient, meaning you don’t need very much of it to add a noticeable improvement in flavor. Because of its high smoke point and depth of flavor, it’s absolutely worth it to add ghee to your arsenal of cooking oils (not to mention your beauty regimen!).

Eating your greens is so much easier when they’ve been tossed with a delicious, healthy salad dressing. Although it can be tempting to grab your favorite bottled dressing in a pinch, chances are good that it’s filled with outrageous amounts of sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats or that you’ll go over the recommended serving size.
The following healthy salad dressing recipes contain nutritious, easy-to-find ingredients such as extra-virgin olive oil, Greek yogurt, fresh garlic, and avocados to kick your salad game up a notch. Making your own healthy salad dressings at home doesn’t require any special equipment (except a blender or food processor, in some cases).
If you can follow a recipe and measure out a few basic ingredients, you’ll be concocting your own dressings and vinaigrettes in no time.

Healthy salad dressings (and salads) begin with quality ingredients.

A salad is only as good as the ingredients it’s made from, and that goes for salad dressings and vinaigrettes too.
Michele Anna Jordan, salad maven and author of Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings: 60 Sensational Recipes to Liven Up Greens, Grains, Slaws, and Every Kind of Salad shares her advice on crafting the perfect simple salad:

Let’s take the simplest green salad. First, I use the best greens I possibly can, and here in Sonoma County I have so many options. I like a mix of crisp lettuces, fresh herbs (Italian parsley, sorrel, thyme) and then season them with kosher salt. Next comes good olive oil, followed by a bit of acid (vinegar or citrus). Sometimes I’ll add a secondary dressing to this, typically something like fresh grapefruit juice, ground cardamom, salt, pepper and olive oil. People who try this call it the best salad they’ve ever had, but it all begins with fabulous greens.

She also cautions against using cheap, imitation ingredients, particularly balsamic vinegar. “I should add that I am not a fan of balsamic vinegar on everything. The cheap versions (which are not the real thing) are full of sugar and I rarely like to combine savory and sweet flavors. I think for the most part, balsamic vinegar degrades a dish,” she explains.
When it comes to oils and vinegars used in salad dressings or vinaigrettes, it’s best to buy the highest quality that you can afford and then use sparingly. Look for extra-virgin oil whenever possible (this means the oil has been extracted from the first pressing) and vinegar without added sugar or caramel coloring so that their flavors truly shine through in the salad.

A Few Basic Healthy Salad Dressing Tips Before You Get Started

Store homemade salad dressing in a covered container in the fridge or freezer (like these adorable YINGGG Squeezy Portable Salad Dressing Bottles or OXO’s classic Salad Dressing Shaker and Dispenser), and always give the dressing a good shake before using. Make sure you get in the habit of tasting as you cook, as you might need to make seasoning adjustments or you might get inspired to experiment with unconventional (but still super-tasty) ingredients.
Jordan is a big fan of unexpected salad dressing ingredients: “I think fresh grapefruit juice surprises people, as do either cardamom pods and ground cardamom. I typically keep a bottle of apple cider vinegar with cardamom pods in my pantry. Lots of flavor, no calories or very few, and so very simple.”
The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re making homemade salad dressings? It’s all about experimenting with ingredients to find the right balance; keep tasting the salad dressing until you find the correct ratio and the exact flavor you’re looking for.
Now that you’re ready to take on summer salad season, here are some healthier salad dressing recipes to get you started.  

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes to Pair With Your Favorite Greens

Basic Oil and Vinegar Dressing

From organic microgreens to bagged iceberg lettuce, this basic oil and vinegar dressing brightens up any green salad it touches.
Made with extra-virgin olive oil, which has been linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease for high-risk individuals, this dressing will keep in the fridge for several months. So feel free to double (or even triple!) the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. white sugar (optional)
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Special equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Blender (or a small mixing bowl and whisk if not using a blender)

Method:

1. Add all of the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to a blender or small mixing bowl. Blitz or whisk to combine.
2. Remove the feeder cap from the blender lid and slowly add the olive oil to the red wine vinegar mixture (or simply add to the salad dressing in the bowl), blending or whisking until the dressing has completely emulsified.
3. Taste the salad dressing and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

Use this versatile lemon basil vinaigrette on bean salads, pasta salads, as a dip for steamed artichoke leaves, or in salade Niçoise. Garlic-lovers will enjoy the punchy flavor a clove of garlic (or three!) adds to this recipe, especially considering the fact that garlic has long been recognized for its anti-microbial effects on potentially harmful bacteria in the body.
This dressing will keep in the fridge for up to four days (but fair warning: The garlic grows increasingly pungent over time).

Ingredients:

• Juice of half a lemon (about 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice)
• 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1½ cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, stems removed
• 1–3 cloves of garlic (use 1 clove of garlic if you plan on storing this dressing for more than a day)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Special equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Blender

Method:

1. Add the lemon juice, sherry vinegar, fresh basil leaves, garlic, salt, and pepper to the blender. Blitz until roughly combined
2. With the blender running, remove the feeder cap and carefully pour the extra-virgin olive oil through the hole. Blend until the ingredients are completely emulsified.
3. Taste the salad dressing and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.

Creamy Ranch-Style Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing

If you’re a fan of ranch dressing but are less than thrilled by its fat content, this recipe is for you! Using plain low fat Greek yogurt in lieu of most of the mayo adds protein and calcium while still giving plenty of creamy texture to the dressing.
Despite its misleading name, buttermilk (which is partly responsible for ranch dressing’s tangy flavor) is low in fat, and if you have leftover buttermilk it can be frozen in ice cube trays and used in smoothies and other recipes calling for buttermilk.
This recipe will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Just give it a quick stir before serving over a green salad, with coleslaw, or as a vegetable dip.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup low fat Greek yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 packet dried ranch dressing mix (we love Hidden Valley’s classic ranch dressing mix)
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
• ⅓–½ cup buttermilk

Special equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Medium-sized mixing bowl
• Whisk

Method:

1. Add all of the ingredients, except for the buttermilk, to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Slowly add the buttermilk, beginning with ⅓ of a cup, to the rest of the ingredients. Keep whisking and adding buttermilk until you reach the correct consistency (pourable but still thick and creamy). Add less buttermilk if you wish to use this recipe as a dip.

Ginger–Tamari Salad Dressing

Use this brightly flavored salad dressing on Asian-inspired slaws, lightly steamed snap peas or edamame, or on cold soba or rice noodle salads. The proven health benefits of ginger are numerous, although it’s especially known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea properties (particularly in cases where the use of drugs isn’t advisable, such as during pregnancy or chemotherapy treatment).
Deeply flavorful and darker in color than soy sauce, tamari is a Japanese condiment that is usually gluten-free. (Check the label to make sure.) It can be found in the Asian or international foods section of most grocery stores or you can purchase this gluten-free version online.
This salad dressing can be kept in the fridge for up to three days, but remember that the garlic taste will grow stronger the longer it sits.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. tamari
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped or grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral-tasting oil

Special equipment:

• Measuring spoons
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk until combined.

Green Goddess–Style Salad Dressing with Avocado

The original recipe for Green Goddess salad dressing contained a rather alarming amount of mayonnaise that was mixed with anchovies, herbs, and scallions. Since then, the recipe has evolved to the point that it would probably be unrecognizable to its inventor, executive chef Philip Roemer of San Francisco’s Palace Hotel.
This version of Green Goddess dressing doesn’t contain mayonnaise but instead uses avocado and Greek yogurt for a creamy texture and rich mouthfeel. Avocados are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce bad cholesterol and normalize blood pressure in animal studies.
Use Green Goddess dressing on butter lettuce and cucumber salads, on top of grilled salmon, or as an elegant dip for crudités. This recipe is at its best when made in a food processor, and the avocado and fresh herbs turn the dressing a gorgeous shade of green.
This salad dressing is tastiest the day it was made, but it can be stored in the fridge for up to two days if necessary.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado, skin removed and cut into quarters
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup fresh herbs (try using a mixture of basil, parsley, and watercress)
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

Special equipment:

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Food processor
• Silicone or wooden spatula

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to the food processor and blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed.
Going green has never tasted so good! Try these healthier salad dressing recipes for yourself and let us know which one is your favorite by tagging us in your foodie photos on Instagram: @itsthehealthyway.

Whenever I have a near-empty fridge, I make stuffed peppers. A fridge that is lacking in obvious ingredients forces you to get creative in the kitchen, and stuffed pepper recipes are a fantastic option when it comes to playing around with leftovers (from the fridge, freezer, and pantry). Think of bell peppers as a blank canvas just waiting to be filled with your favorite healthy ingredients!
We guide you through the entire process of making delicious stuffed peppers, from basic bell pepper prep and super-nutritious ingredient suggestions to recipes to try for yourself.

Basic Bell Pepper Prep for Stuffed Pepper Recipes

First things first, you’ll need to wash and dry the peppers. Next, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise using a sharp chef’s knife. You want to end up with two pepper “boats” that can be stuffed with filling. Using a paring knife, trim away the white pith and seeds, leaving the stem intact for decorative purposes.
If the bell pepper halves are wobbly, you can even them out by making a shallow cut across the base of the pepper half so they’ll be able to stand up on their own. If you know you’ll be short on time, bell peppers can be prepped a day ahead and stored in a covered container in the fridge until you’re ready to fill them.
Now that you know how to prep your peppers, here are two tasty stuffed pepper recipes to try at home.

Tuscan-Style Turkey and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

These Tuscan-style stuffed peppers are perfect for weeknight suppers while still being elegant enough for a dinner party with friends. Serve these stuffed peppers with grilled or steamed asparagus and a big green salad with a citrusy dressing.

Nutrition Information*

Calories: 300
Protein: 18 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6 grams
Sugars: 6 grams
*Per serving, not including the optional grated cheese, fresh basil, or parsley

Time: 30 Minutes Active Time + 1 Hour Cook Time

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings (1 Whole Pepper per Serving)

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 sweet bell peppers, prepped (see above)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1 tsp. dried onion powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. dried chili flakes (or more, to taste)
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in hot water and then finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 4 cups of roughly chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 ½ cups chilled brown rice
• ½ cup vegetable stock or water
• Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese (optional)
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• ½ cup fresh basil, cut in a thin chiffonade*

*To cut basil into a chiffonade, stack multiple basil leaves on top of one another and roll into a tight, cigar-shaped tube. Using a sharp paring or chef’s knife, cut the basil leaves across the width of the roll into fine ribbons.

Special Equipment:

• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Chef’s knife
• Paring knife
• Sauté pan (this model from Cuisinart will last you a lifetime and it looks great in any kitchen!)
• Silicone or wooden spatula
• 9” × 13” casserole dish
• Aluminum foil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large sauté pan before crumbling in the ground turkey and seasoning with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
3. Using a silicone or wooden spatula break the ground turkey apart and continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink inside.
4. Transfer the cooked ground turkey to a bowl and wipe down the inside of the sauté pan with paper towel. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan and return to medium heat.
5. Sauté the shallot, dried onion powder, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried chili flakes in the oil until fragrant.
6. Next, add the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and kale.
7. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale has completely wilted.
8. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the cooked ground turkey and brown rice, gently stirring with the spatula until combined.
9. Remove from heat and set aside.
10. Using a large spoon, divide the ground turkey and brown rice mixture amongst the bell pepper halves.
11. Evenly space the stuffed peppers in a 9”× 13” casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray, adding ½ cup water or vegetable stock to the bottom of the dish.
12. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Larger peppers may need up to 10 extra minutes (55 minutes total) baking time.
13. Remove the foil and sprinkle liberally with parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, cooking the stuffed peppers under the broiler for another 5 to 8 minutes (keep an eye on the peppers to make sure they don’t burn).
14. Serve the stuffed peppers while hot or at room temperature, garnishing with fresh parsley and basil before serving.

Vegetarian Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

With half your recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber, these filling vegetarian quinoa and black bean stuffed peppers are an ideal work lunch throughout the week. Serve with salsa or pico de gallo, guacamole, and Greek yogurt.

Nutrition Information*

Calories: 269
Protein: 12 grams
Dietary Fiber: 13 grams
Sugars: 9 grams
*Per serving, not including the optional crumbled cheese, scallions, or cilantro

Time: 30 Minutes Active Time + 1 Hour Cook Time

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (1 whole pepper per serving)

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 sweet bell peppers, prepped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ cup diced white onion
• 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced (seeds and white pith removed)
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder (test the spice level before using and adjust as necessary)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups corn (fresh or frozen works best—avoid canned)
• 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup butternut squash, cut into a small dice (fresh or frozen will work)
• One 15.5-oz. can of black beans, drained
• 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, chilled
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• Cooking spray
• Crumbled cotija or mild feta cheese (optional)
• Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 3 scallions thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only

Special Equipment:

• Cutting board
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Chef’s knife
• Paring knife
• Large sauté pan
• Silicone or wooden spatula
• Large spoon
• 9” × 13” casserole dish
• Aluminum foil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
2. Add the olive oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt to the pan.
3. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until the onions have softened.
4. Next, add the corn, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and butternut squash to the onion and spice mixture.
5. Stirring frequently, cook the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.
6. Add the black beans, quinoa, and ½ cup vegetable stock to the sauté pan, stirring until the stock has been absorbed.
7. Using a spoon, divide the quinoa and black bean mixture amongst the bell pepper halves.
8. Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray and add the stuffed peppers halves.
9. Add the remaining ½ cup of vegetable stock to the casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
10. Bake for 45 minutes; larger peppers may need up to 10 extra minutes (55 minutes total) baking time.
11. Remove the foil from the casserole dish, crumble the cotija or feta cheese over the stuffed peppers. Run the stuffed peppers under the broiler until it begins to brown (it won’t melt). Remove from the oven.
12. Serve the stuffed peppers hot or at room temperature. When ready to serve, sprinkle the stuffed peppers with plenty of fresh cilantro and sliced scallions.

Still not convinced you can nail homemade stuffed peppers? Check out our stuffed pepper FAQs:

Can I make stuffed peppers ahead of time?

Peppers that have been stuffed but not yet cooked can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge overnight. Just keep them covered with plastic wrap or in a reusable container. Take the stuffed peppers out of the fridge 20 minutes before you plan to cook them and then follow the baking directions outlined in the recipes above.

How long can I store cooked stuffed peppers in the fridge?

Refrigerated stuffed peppers that have already been cooked can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to four days. Make extra stuffed peppers to keep in the fridge and you’ll have a highly nutritious and filling lunch to take to work throughout the week.

Can I freeze stuffed peppers?

Absolutely! When Andrea Hardy, RD at Ignite Nutrition makes her famous vegetarian Mediterranean Lentil-Stuffed Peppers, she always preps and freezes the bell peppers beforehand.
Hardy tells HealthyWay, “Stuffed peppers are a bit of a labor of love—they aren’t a 15-minute recipe—so I tend to batch cook and freeze them. Always pre-bake them first to soften them up; you can do this on the BBQ too, though! That way they don’t take too long to cook and are the right texture when you stuff them and bake them the second time.”
To freeze stuffed peppers, blanch the prepped pepper halves in boiling water for two to three minutes (or follow Hardy’s advice and grill them). This will help prevent the peppers from becoming slimy when they warm back up. Transfer the blanched peppers to a paper towel and let cool to room temperature before stuffing them with the cooked filling. Wrap each stuffed pepper with at least two layers of plastic wrap and store each wrapped pepper in a resealable freezer bag or container (these precautions will help prevent freezer burn). Stuffed peppers can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
When you’re ready to eat the stuffed peppers, simply transfer them to a casserole dish, add a half cup of water or vegetable stock, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake from frozen. Depending on the size of the stuffed peppers, you may need to increase the baking time by up to 30 minutes (not including broiling time, which will be the same as indicated in the recipe).

How do I know my stuffed peppers are cooked?

Stuffed peppers are cooked when they’re warmed all the way through and feel hot throughout. Because the meat used in stuffed peppers is usually pre-cooked, the risk of potential cross-contamination is very low. Thanks to the aluminum foil used to cover the peppers as well as the addition of water or stock, the stuffed peppers are lightly steamed as they cook. For melted cheese or breadcrumbs toppings, running the peppers under the broiler for 5 minutes after baking will result in a pleasantly browned crust.

Are all bell peppers the same?

Despite the fact that peppers come in a rainbow of different colors, ranging anywhere from green to deep red, bell peppers all come from the same plant. Green bell peppers are still relatively unripe, yellow and orange bell peppers are just beginning to ripen, and red peppers are the most mature. All bell peppers contain an impressive amount of nutrients and are very low in calories, but since red peppers spend the longest amount of time on the vine (most vegetables have the highest nutritional value when picked at the height of maturity) they have a nutritional advantage over green peppers in terms of beta-carotene and vitamins A and C.

What’s the best cooking method for stuffed peppers?

Stuffed peppers can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, in the microwave, or in a slow cooker. Although the microwave and slow cooker are convenient, stuffed peppers cooked in this manner are often quite soggy. The oven method produces the best results in terms of overall texture and taste because it’s the driest cooking method (even though the stuffed peppers are still being lightly steamed under the aluminum foil). Five minutes under the broiler at the end of the cooking time helps to achieve a lightly browned topping and adds a pleasantly crispy texture to the finished stuffed peppers.

Why are stuffed peppers so good for you?

Stuffed peppers offer a huge array of nutrients in a compact meal. Hardy loves stuffed peppers for their positive effect on gut health. Her take?

I love stuffed peppers. From a nutrition perspective, you can pack them with things that are high in fiber to help feed the bacteria in your gut. When your gut bacteria are well-fed they produce anti-inflammatory compounds and keep your gut healthy. My favorites tend to be lentils, as they’re soft and the texture blends with almost anything, but I’ve done black beans too for Mexican stuffed peppers!

Deborah Murphy MS, RDN, and creator of the food blog Dietitian Debbie Dishes (try her incredible Vegetarian TVP Stuffed Peppers) praises stuffed peppers for their generous nutritional impact:

I love stuffed peppers because depending on the filling you use, they are essentially a complete meal in one dish. Use brown rice or cauliflower rice for your filling to boost the fiber content and add some beans for a healthy source of plant-based protein. The bell peppers themselves are also high in nutrients like Vitamin C [giving you more than 100 percent of your] daily value, vitamin B6, and potassium.

Stuffed Pepper Tips and Hacks From the Pros

Both Hardy and Murphy are seasoned pros when it comes to stuffed pepper recipes and they have some helpful tips for making them at home. For example, Hardy likes to work around a theme. She elaborates:

I typically choose a “theme” and base my ingredients off that. My two go-tos besides my Mediterranean peppers [are Mexican and Greek-inspired]. For Mexican: cilantro, rice, black beans, ground beef, peppers, onion, cheese, and taco seasoning. For Greek: rice, feta, olives, peppers, onion, and Greek seasoning.

Murphy also likes to be inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean and recommends you stuff your peppers with rice, chickpeas, feta cheese, and olives. Looking for some new vegetarian protein options? Murphy loves tempeh.
“As a vegetarian, I always try to incorporate some source of plant-based protein like beans or tempeh into my stuffed peppers,” she says. If you aren’t familiar with tempeh, it is made from fermented soybeans which are pressed into a patty that can be sliced or crumbled depending on the recipe. Adding tempeh to stuffed peppers is a tasty way to try it in a more familiar dish.
If you’re a fan of heat, try stuffing larger spicy peppers with your favorite filling (poblano and banana peppers work well, just make sure to wear gloves when removing the seeds and white pith to avoid unexpected contact burns).

Stuffed Peppers: the Perfect Meal-in-One

When you select your fillings with nutrition in mind, stuffed peppers are literally stuffed with nutrients; they’re full of important vitamins and minerals, high in dietary fiber, can be made ahead or brought to work for lunch, and can be customized to suit any taste. Although they require more time than some other recipes, much of the work can be in advance (plus, the filling can be mixed and peppers can be stuffed by younger kitchen helpers!). They’re also the perfect meal for when you need to clean out your fridge or freezer before a big grocery haul.
Super-nutritious, great for gut-health, and endlessly customizable? It’s time to try one of our delicious stuffed pepper recipes for yourself!